by Philip LaVoie
1/350 USS Minnesota BB-22 (ISW)
This is the Iron Shipwright USS Connecticut resin kit that I converted into the USS Minnesota in 1909. They have great customer service, being I ordered the kit on a Thursday and received it on Saturday. You get a beautifully cast hull and brass barrels for the 12 main guns. They also include alternate mast and bridge pieces to back date the kit before the cage masts were installed, which is what I wanted to do to depict the ship during her cruise with the Great White Fleet. I did have to come up with several of the smaller pieces and also purchased some small brass barrels for the rest of the guns. The only hull modification I had to do is add the port and starboard bow gun mounts and the gold decoration there. I was fortunate to come across some brass letters so I could spell out "MINNESOTA" on the bridge, which is why I really wanted to build this version of the ship in the first place.
